• Although Amazon hasn’t made a statement about it, Reddit users have discovered a new Brief Mode for Amazon Echo products.<br>• Brief Mode stops Alexa from issuing verbal affirmation after completing a task; the assistant emits a beep tone instead.<br>• The new feature also appears in the Alexa app for Android …

Right now, my Amazon Echo is sitting in my living room, waiting to be utilized as a glorified speaker and kitchen timer when I get home later and ask it to play my cooking playlist, then set an oven timer. I know that there are other people like me out there who aren't using their dear friend Alexa …

For when you want your virtual assistant to be a little less talkative<p>Tech companies are still working out how users want to interact with voice assistants, but it seems one option is making them less chatty. Amazon, for example, is apparently testing a new “brief mode” for Alexa devices that …

Amazon confirmed it’s rolling out an optional “Brief Mode” that lets Alexa users configure their Echo devices to use chimes and sounds for confirmations, instead of having Alexa respond with her voice. For example, if you ask Alexa to turn on your lights today, she will respond “okay” as she does …

Software company Daon has developed a way for you to send money to other people via voice assistant. Banks may adopt the new tech as soon as this year.<p>Amazon's Alexa may turn into the Venmo of voice later this year.<p>Daon, a Virginia company that develops biometric software for governments and banks, …

We all know that Amazon is constantly looking for ways to grow and expand. That's why it really doesn't come as a surprise that Ina Fried at <i>Axios</i> is reporting that Amazon is getting into the business sector with Alexa. Alexa for Business will be aimed at a range of settings, from small businesses …

Venmo (and PayPal, Zelle, Apple Pay, and Square Cash) may soon have a little competition from Amazon’s Alexa. <i>CNET</i> reports that biometric software company Daon, which helped MasterCard develop its “pay-by-selfie,” <b>has come up with a way to let people send money using Alexa</b>. Don’t get too excited, …

• Amazon introduced follow-up mode to its Echo devices. The new feature lets you issue two commands with only one wake word.<br>• You still have to separate the two commands by a brief pause, and you can’t use complex sentences. But you’ll save time by only issuing one wake word.<br>• There are some other …

Google and Amazon are the two biggest players in the smart speaker market, and the two are constantly battling it out to deliver the best features before one another. Recently, Amazon added a new feature to Alexa that Google absolutely needs to copy…<p>Last week Amazon quietly announced a new feature …

Amazon is continuing to pour resources into its Alexa platform as competition heats up in the virtual assistant space. Google Assistant, Siri and others have all made a push for consumers’ dollars and attention over the last year with varying success. And while the other two major players have …

Alexa calling, the feature that lets users place voice and video calls from Alexa devices, like the Echo, is now coming to tablets. Amazon announced this morning added support for calling as well as messaging features on tablets including iPads, Android tablets, and of course its own Fire …

Those with digital home assistants know this phenomenon all too well. You ask Siri, Google or Alexa to hook it up with the facts, they provide an answer, but then you have a follow-up question. In order to ask that follow-up question, you have to say “Hey, Siri,” “Hey, Google” or “Alexa” all over …